Compactor with separate bin for receiving materials

ABSTRACT

A compactor which includes a compaction receptacle and a separate compartment disposed above the receptacle to permit materials to be deposited in the compactor without moving the entire receptacle out of the compactor housing. A bottom wall of the compartment is pivotally mounted for movement between a first position in which material is retained in the compartment and a second position in which the contents of the compartment dump into the receptacle. In one embodiment of the invention, the pivotal bottom wall is fixed with respect to the front wall or access door of the compartment and pivots in response to movement of the front wall as it is opened and closed. In other embodiments the pivotal bottom wall moves to a dumping position in response to movement of the receptacle from its compacting position.

"United States Patent Engebretsen Sept. 16, 1975 [54] COMPACTOR WITH SEPARATE BIN FOR 3,691,944 9/1972 Boyd 100/229 A 3,772,984 11 1973 Karls et al 100/215 RECEIVING MATERIALS Inventor: Einar O. Engebretsen, Troy, Ohio Assignee: Hobart Corporation, Troy, Ohio Filed: Apr. 26, 1974 Appl. No.: 464,546

U.S. Cl 100/215; 100/229 A Int. Cl. B30B 15/30 Field of Search 141/73, 80; 53/124 B; 232/43.l, 49, 50, 51;

Snyder lOO/229 A Hopkins lOO/229 A Corbett lOO/215 Boyd 100/229 A Primary ExaminerBilly J. Wilhite Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Biebel, French & Bugg [5 7] ABSTRACT A compactor which includes a compaction receptacle and a separate compartment disposed above the receptacle to permit materials to be deposited in the compactor without moving the entire receptacle out of the compactor housing. A bottom wall of the compartment is pivotally mounted for movement between a first position in which material is retained in the compartment and a second position in which the contents of the compartment dump into the receptacle. In one embodiment of the invention, the pivotal bottom wall is fixed with respect to the front wall or access door of the compartment and pivots in response to movement of the front wall as it is opened and closed. In other embodiments the pivotal bottom wall moves to a dumping position in response to movement of the receptacle from its compacting position.

11 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures T II II II II ll '1 '1 I --r r :l -L I II I l J COMPACTOR WITH SEPARATE BIN FOR RECEIVING MATERIALS CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of US. application Ser. No. 391,995, filed Aug. 27, 1973, now US. Pat. No. 3,841,214, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of US. application Ser. No. 188,295, filed Oct. 12, 1971 now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It has been found highly advantageous to utilize a slide-mounted container, such as a drawer, as a compaction receptacle in compactors because of the ease with which the receptacle may be moved out of the compactor housing for emptying, cleaning or the depositing of large materials in the receptacle. In many instances, however, the materials to be deposited in the receptacle are relatively small, and it is undesirable to require that the entire compaction receptacle be slid out of the housing each time materials, regardless of size, are to be deposited in the compactor.

The above-noted related applications disclose a compactor having a drawer-mounted compaction receptacle, which provides the convenience of this type of construction, and a separate compartment into which materials, particularly waste materials of small size, can be deposited without opening the entire drawer.

In two embodiments disclosed in the above-noted related applications, the receptacle is provided with a sloping wall which forms the bottom wall of the compartment, so that as the receptacle is opened, materials in the compartment slide down the sloping wall into the receptacle. In other embodiments the compaction receptacle is normally offset from the compacting ram and in direct communication with the materials receiving compartment, so that materials deposited in the compartment fall directly into the receptacle. When it is desired to compact the materials in the receptacle, the receptacle is positioned in alignment with the ram to permit the ram to enter the receptacle during compacting strokes.

In none of the embodiments disclosed in the abovenoted application is the compartment provided with a bottom wall capable of positive movement relative to the receptacle between a position in which material is retained in the compartment and a second position in which the material deposited in the compartment is dumped into the compaction receptacle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a compactor which includes a drawer'mounted receptacle and, positioned above the receptacle, a compartment having a bottom wall mounted for movement relative to the receptacle between a first position in which material is retained in the compartment and a second position in which material deposited in the compartment is dumped into the compaction receptacle.

In one embodiment of the invention, the bottom wall is fixed with respect to the front wall or access door of the compartment and pivots simultaneously therewith. With this construction, when the front wall is pivoted downwardly to open the compartment, the bottom wall pivots upwardly. Thereafter, when the front wall is closed, the bottom wall pivots downwardly, dumping the material received in the compartment into the receptacle. This allows material to be deposited in the compactor without opening the drawer, but prevents a person from inserting their hand into the compactor through the open access door.

In a second embodiment of the present invention the bottom wall is pivoted along a forward edge thereof and supported in a materials-receiving position to prevent downward pivoting thereof by an underlying lower wall which projects upwardly beneath the bottom wall. This lower wall may be formed integrally with the compactor drawer or with a liner for the drawer, preferably with the latter in order to receive any liquid drippings from items deposited in the compartment.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the bottom wall is pivoted along its rear edge to the compaction receptacle. In this embodiment, as the compaction receptacle slides outwardly from the compacting position thereof, the upper forward edge of the bottom wall pivots upwardly to dump the contents of the compartment into the receptacle.

In any of the embodiments described above, it may be desirable to provide spring pressure for urging the bottom wall of the compartment to a particular position thereof. For example, the bottom wall would preferably be spring-loaded to a dumping position. In the first embodiment described above this would insure that the bin is closed except when it is desired to deposit materials therein, and in the remaining embodiments spring pressure would provide a positive dumping action as the compaction receptacle is opened.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view with portions removed showing a compactor in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing only a portion of a compactor in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a partial elevational view with parts removed showing a modified version of the embodiment of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 depicts still another embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As seen in FIG. 1 of the drawings, a compactor 10 in accordance with the present invention includes a housing 12 receiving a receptacle 14 which is preferably in the form of a drawer, slidably supported by suitable slide structure, indicated generally at 16. The receptacle 14 is thus slidably supported for movement between the fully-extended position shown in dotted lines and a compacting position shown in solid lines.

The receptacle will be provided with a handle 18 and a sloping wall 20 pivoted at 22 to allow the wall 20 to be pivoted upwardly when the receptacle is positioned outside of the housing 12 to expose a storage space 24 for bags or the like. In the compacting position, it will be seen that the receptacle I4 is positioned beneath a ram 26 which may be of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,009.

- As described in that patent, the ram is substantially hollow and contains a motor 28 driving pulleys 30 rotatably mounted on the ram to cause the ram to move upwardly and downwardly along the stationary jack screws 32. The latter are preferably disposed in a triangular pattern with one jack screw extending along the rear wall of the housing centrally thereof and a pair of identical screws positioned on opposite sides of the ram adjacent the front thereof.

Material deposited in the receptacle 14 is compacted to a portion of its original volume by movement of the ram 26 along the jack screws 32 into the receptacle 14. In order to deposit material in the ram 14 without moving the entire receptacle outwardly from its compacting position, a compartment 34 is disposed in the compactor housing adjacent the front thereof and generally above the receptacle 14.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, a compactor is provided with a bottom wall 36 fixed to a front wall or access door 38 and arcuate side walls 40, only one of which is shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The assembly of the bottom, front and side walls 36, 38 and 40 is pivotally mounted to the compactor housing at 42, so that by grasping the handle 44, the assembly can be moved from the solid line position shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings to the dotted line position.

In the dotted line position, waste materials can be deposited in the compartment 34, but because of the wall 46 extending downwardly in front of the ram 26 and the bottom wall 36 of the compartment, a person cannot insert their hand into the compactor beneath the ram 26. This provides a safety feature which allows the ram to be operated when the access door 38 is opened, so that materials can be deposited in the compartment 34 without regard to whether or not the compactor is in operation.

After materials have been so deposited, the access door 38 is closed, pivoting the bottom and side walls 36 and 40 to the solid line position shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings and allowing material deposited in the compartment to fall into the receptacle 14, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

In FIG. 2 of the drawings, a second embodiment 50 of the invention is shown which permits material to be deposited in the compactor without opening the receptacle 14 and in which a compartment 52 is provided having a bottom wall 54 mounted for positive dumping movement relative to the receptacle. The receptacle is slidably received in a housing 56 and a wall 58 extends downwardly adjacent the front of the ram 26 and defines a rear wall of compartment 52.

The compartment 52 is also provided with a front wall or access door 60 and side walls 62, only one of which is shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. Both the front and bottom walls 60 and 54 are pivotally mounted independently of each other to the housing at 64 and in the compacting position of the receptacle 14, an upwardly sloping wall 66 extends beneath the lower edge of the bottom wall 54 and supports it in the position shown in FIG. 2.

The wall 66 may be formed as an integral part of a liner 68 associated with and positioned within the receptacle 14. The liner is preferably of molded, two piece construction, self-supporting and designed to be removed from the receptacle when full, emptied and reused. Reference may be had to US. application Ser. No. 184,038, dated Sept. 27, 1971, now US. Pat. No. 3,807,299, for a suitable liner of this type.

With this construction it will be seen that, as the re ceptacle 14 is moved from its compacting position outwardly v to noncompacting positions displaced outwardly from its compacting position, the bottom wall 54 pivots downwardly with a positive dumping movement to allow material deposited in the compartment 52 to dump into the receptacle 14.

FIG. 3 of the drawings depicts another embodiment 70 of the invention which is similar in many respects to that shown in FIG. 2. Thus, a compartment 72 is formed in a housing 74 by a front wall or access door 76, a bottom wall 78 and a downwardly-extending wall 80 separating the ram 26 from the compartment 72. However, rather than a liner positioned within a receptacle providingan upwardly extending wall positioned beneath the bottom wall 78, a wall 82 is formed integrally with the slide mounted receptacle '84.

In all other respects, the embodiment of FIG. 3 is the same as that shown in FIG. 2 and it will be noted that as the receptacle 84 is slid outwardly from the solid line, compacting position to a noncompacting position displaced outwardly from the compacting position, the bottom wall 78 may drop downwardly to the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3 allowing the contents of compartment 72 to drop into the receptacle 84.

In FIG. 4 of the drawings, an embodiment is shown including a compactor housing 92, a compactor ram 26 and a receptacle 94. Positioned above and in front of the receptacle 94 is a compartment 96 defined by a downwardly extending rear wall 98, a pair of side walls 100, only one of which is shown, a front wall or access door 102 and a pair of cooperating upper and lower bottom walls 104 and 106, respectively.

The wall 104 is fixed with respect to the housing 92 and extends only a short distance downwardly and rear wardly. The bottom wall 106, on the other hand, is pivoted, as at 108, to the receptacle 94 and is provided with a spring urging it upwardly in a clockwise direction. With this construction, it will be seen that the front wall 102 may be pivoted downwardly about its hinge connection 1 12 to provide access to the compartment 96.

As the receptacle 94 is then moved from the solid line position shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings outwardly of the housing, the spring-loaded bottom wall 96 pivots upwardly in the direction indicated by the arrow to the position shown in dotted lines to cause material deposited in the compartment 96 to dump into the drawer 94. Thereafter, when the receptacle 94 is moved back to the solid line position, the upper bottom wall 104 engages the lower bottom wall 106 adjacent the upper edge thereof and pivots it back to the solid line position shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings.

From the above it will be seen that the present invention provides a compactor having a bottom wall mounted for positive dumping movement with respect to the compaction receptacle.

-While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing fromthe scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a compactor including a housing, a compaction receptacle received in said housing and movable between a compacting position disposed entirely within said housing and non-compacting positions displaced outwardly of said compacting position, and a compacting rarn positioned above said receptacle when in said compacting position thereof, the improvement comprising:

a. a material receiving compartment positioned in said housing above said receptacle,

b. means providing access to said compartment independently of said receptacle,

c. a bottom wall of said compartment, and

d. means mounting said bottom wall for movement relative to said receptacle between a first position in which material is retained in said compartment and dumping positions in which material deposited in said compartment falls into said receptacle.

2. The compactor of claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises:

a. means mounting said bottom wall for pivotal movement.

3. The compactor of claim 2 wherein said mounting means comprises:

a. means pivotally mounting said bottom wall along a front edge thereof.

4. The compactor of claim 3 wherein:

a. said bottom wall is pivotally mounted independently of said receptacle.

5. The compactor of claim 2 wherein said mounting means comprises:

a. means pivotally mounting said bottom wall along a rear edge thereof.

6. The compactor of claim 5 wherein:

a. said mounting means mounts said bottom wall for pivotal movement on said receptacle.

7. The compactor of claim 3 further comprising:

a. a front wall of said compartment fixed with respect to said bottom wall for pivoting of said front wall about a lower edge thereof simultaneously with pivoting of said bottom wall.

8. The compactor of claim 3 further comprising:

a. an underlying lower wall projecting upwardly beneath said bottom wall.

9. The compactor of claim 8 wherein:

a. said receptacle comprises a drawer and said lower wall projects upwardly from a forward edge of said drawer.

10. The compactor of claim 8 wherein:

a. said receptacle comprises a drawer,

b. a liner is positioned in said drawer, and

c. said lower wall projects upwardly from a forward edge of said liner.

11. A compactor comprising:

a. a compactor housing,

b. a horizontally-movable, open-top compaction receptacle received in said housing,

c. means mounting said receptacle for movement between a compacting position within said housing and noncompacting positions displaced outwardly from said compacting position,

d. a compacting ram within said housing located in vertical alignment with and above said receptacle when said receptacle is in said compacting position,

e. means mounting said ram for compacting and retracting movement into and out of said receptacle respectively when said receptacle is located in said compacting position,

f. a temporary storage, material-receiving compartment having side walls and a bottom wall located in said housing above the level of the open top of the receptacle intermediate said ram and the front of said compactor housing,

g. means providing access to said compartment for deposition therein of material to be compacted while said receptacle is in said compacting position, and

h. means pivotally mounting said bottom wall of said compartment to said housing for movement of said bottom wall between a material-receiving position when said receptacle is in said compacting position and dumping positions as said receptacle is moved outwardly from said compacting position. 

1. In a compactor including a housing, a compaction receptacle received in said housing and movable between a compacting position disposed entirely within said housing and non-compacting positions displaced outwardly of said compacting position, and a compacting ram positioned above said receptacle when in said compacting position thereof, the improvement comprising: a. a material receiving compartment positioned in said housing above said receptacle, b. means providing access to said compartment independently of said receptacle, c. a bottom wall of said compartment, and d. means mounting said bottom wall for movement relative to said receptacle between a first position in which material is retained in said compartment and dumping positions in which material deposited in said compartment falls into said receptacle.
 2. The compactor of claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises: a. means mounting said bottom wall for pivotal movement.
 3. The compactor of claim 2 wherein said mounting means comprises: a. means pivotally mounting said bottom wall along a front edge thereof.
 4. The compactor of claim 3 wherein: a. said bottom wall is pivotally mounted independently of said receptacle.
 5. The compactor of claim 2 wherein said mounting means comprises: a. means pivotally mounting said bottom wall along a rear edge thereof.
 6. The compactor of claim 5 wherein: a. said mounting means mounts said bottom wall for pivotal movement on said receptacle.
 7. The compactor of claim 3 further comprising: a. a front wall of said compartment fixed with respect to said bottom wall for pivoting of said front wall about a lower edge thereof simultaneously with pivoting of said bottom wall.
 8. The compactor of claim 3 further comprising: a. an underlying lower wall projecting upwardly beneath said bottom wall.
 9. The compactor of claim 8 wherein: a. said receptacle comprises a drawer and said lower wall projects upwardly from a forward edge of said drawer.
 10. The compactor of claim 8 wherein: a. said receptacle comprises a drawer, b. a liner is positioned in said drawer, and c. said lower wall projects upwardly from a forward edge of said liner.
 11. A compactor comprising: a. a compactor housing, b. a horizontally-movable, open-top compaction receptacle received in said housing, c. means mounting said receptacle for movement between a compacting position within said housing and noncompacting positions displaced outwardly from said compacting position, d. a compacting ram within said housing located in vertical alignment with and above said receptacle when said receptacle is in said compacting position, e. means mounting said ram for compacting and retracting movement into and out of said receptacle respectively when said receptacle is located in said compacting position, f. a temporary storage, material-receiving compartment having side walls and a bottom wall located in said housing above the level of the open top of the receptacle intermediate said ram and the front of said compactor housing, g. means providing access to said compartment for deposition therein of material to be compacted while said receptacle is in said compacting position, and h. means pivotally mounting said bottom wall of said compartment to said housing for movement of said bottom wall between a material-receiving position when said receptacle is in said compacting position and dumping positions as said receptacle is moved outwardly from said compacting position. 